Coupling means for life-boats.



J. A. McNABB & G. EMERY. COUPLING MEANS FOR LIFE BOATS. APPLICATION FILED MAI-1.7. 1916.

1.1 92,543. Patented July 25, 1916.

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JOHN ALEXANDER MGNABB AND GILBERT EMERY, OF COLLINGWOOD, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNORS 0F ONE-THIRD TO GEORGE 'IINEGATE, OF COLLINGWOOD,

ONTARIO, CANADA.

COUPLING MEANS FOR LIFE-BOATS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 191 6.

1' '9 all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JOHN ALEXANDER MoNABB and GILBERT EMERY, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing in the town of Oollingwood, county of Simcoe, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coupling Means for LifeBoats, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in coupling means for life boats, and relates more particularly to the production of means for coupling and uncoupling life boats in respect to the usual davits and tackle carried thereby, and the principal object of our invention is to provide any suitable type of life boat with means which will simultaneously uncouple both ends of the life boat from the davits and the tackle carried thereby, so that there will be no danger of the occupants being spilled out of the boat as a result of the uncoupling of one end of the boat only.

Another object of our invention is to provide means of the class described whichcannot be rendered inoperative by reason of becoming frozen.

The construction and operation of our preferred form of invention will be hereinafter particularly set forth and what we claim as new will be pointed out in the claim forming part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a. life boat showing the same equipped with our preferred form of coupling means. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of one of the supporting posts for the coupling means, certain parts being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the operating lever and certain supporting parts therefor. This view also shows certain locking means for the said lever, and Fig. 4: is a plan view of the locking means for the operating lever, (which is shown in section in this view), as well as the supporting means therefor.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

A is any suitable type of life boat, and secured to the keel B thereof, near each end of the boat are suitable standards G. Our preferred form of construction for these standards is to construct them of two members D and E bent into parallel relationship and bolted at their lower ends by the bolts F to the brackets G suitably carried by the keel B. The members D and E are spaced apart as shown and are held in this relationship at the lower ends by the brackets Gr and at their upper ends by the stripper H bolted in place and hereinafter particularly referred to. Pivoted bet-ween each of the members D and E by the rivet a is a hook I, the free end J of which normally rests in the eye K formed at the upper end of each standard C. Pivoted by the rivet 1) between the members D and E of each standard C is a lever plate 2. These plates are each connected by a link 3 with their respective hooks I.

d is an operating lever pivoted by the rivet 5 between the standards 6. These standards are suitably secured to the keel B and to the thwart 7.

8 is a connecting rod which is connected by the rivet 9 to the lever plate a, and by the rivet 10 to the lower end of the operating lever 4.

11 is a connecting rod which is connected by the rivet 12 to the operating lever 1 above the pivot 5 thereof, and the outer end of this connecting rod is connected by the rivet 13 to the lever plate a".

Then the operating lever l is moved in the direction indicated by arrow in Fig. 1, the various parts before described are operated to simultaneously withdraw the free ends J of each hook I from the eyes K, and far enough to be withdrawn from the links 14: which are attached to-the ordinary block and tackle (not shown) which is carried by the davits (not shown). Now since each end of the life boat will be simultaneously uncoupled from the davits, it follows that there will be no danger of the occupants being spilled out of one end of the boat by reason of this end being still connected to one of the davits.

The strippers H are each provided with hook-shaped ends 15. The function performed by these strippers is to insure that the free ends J of the hooks I shall positively be withdrawn from said links.

By moving the lever 4 back into normal position it will be readily understood how the life boat is again coupled to the links 14 and supporting parts.

Our locking means for the operating lever 4 is preferably constructed as follows:

The lever 4 is shown as normally extending through a slot 16 formed in one side'of the thwart 7. This lever normally rests against one side of said slot, and extending in front of same is the fixed keeper 1'? which is secured by the bolts or pins 18 to the thwart 7. 19 is a keeper pivoted at 20 to one edge of the thwart 7, and the head 21 of this keeper extends into the slot 16 and rests against one side of the lever 4. One portion of the head 21 as shown 'at 22,

comes in contact with the top of the thwart 7 and so limits the downward movement of the keeper 19. The said keepers 17 and 19 co-act to securely lock the lever 4 in place. To securely lock the keeper 19 in place I provide a keeper 23 pivoted at 24 to the thwart 7. As shown particularly in Fig. 4 the keeper 23'will securely hold the keeper 19 in place. To unlock the lever 4 it is necessary to unlock the keeper 19 and then raise it up, after which the lever 4 is pulled sidewise to escape the keeper 17 and then moved out of the slot 16. Of course various means may be used to lock the said lever 4 in place. The standards C are braced after any suitable manner-as shown atv e.

f is the floor, and it will be understood that the connecting rods 8 and 11 are underneath the floor.

g is a slot formed in the floor 7 to allow for the necessary movement of the lever 4.

Of course it will be understood that we may embody our idea in many difierent forms without departing from the spirit of our invention, and it will be understood that this invention of ours may be used in normally rests within its respective eye; a stripper carried by each of the said standards and positioned underneath the free, end of each ofthe said hooks; the outer end of each of said strippers being hook-shaped; a lever; means whereby said lever is pivoted in place; connectmg means between said lever and each of the said hooks whereby when said lever is moved ina certain direction said hooks will be simultaneously opened to release the boat, and suitable locking means for said lever.

In testimony whereof we do afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN ALEXANDER MoNABB. GILBERT EMERY.

Witnesses: I

-M. A. MARTIN,

W. T. ALLAN.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D.- C.

standards, the free end of each of which a 

